Behind the Burger
Created by the New Mexico Beef Council, we are telling the stories behind the beef in New Mexico.
Behind the Burger
Agriculture is a calling, not just a business. Featuring Larry Reagan, President of New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau
Agriculture runs deep in Larry Reagan's blood. As President of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, he bridges the gap between policy and pasture, advocating for the 22,000 members who make up the state's oldest and largest agricultural organization.
"Raising cattle is a calling, not just a job," Reagan explains during this enlightening conversation with Caroline Romo of the New Mexico Beef Council. His journey from insurance customer to influential agricultural leader parallels the organization's own mission - often misunderstood as simply an insurance provider when its true purpose lies in advocacy, lobbying, legal action, and education.
Reagan's personal operation reflects the adaptive nature of New Mexico ranching. With only 14 inches of annual rainfall in his region, he's spent 25 years implementing cross-fencing systems for optimal cattle rotation. This attention to detail extends to animal welfare, with Reagan emphasizing that stress reduction is paramount for cattle health. "Everything we can do to minimize stress in our cattle is helping our cattle," he notes, highlighting the profound care that underpins responsible ranching practices.
The conversation reveals the Farm Bureau's inclusive approach to agriculture, welcoming everyone from small organic producers to large cattle operations under one mission: telling agriculture's story authentically. As Reagan puts it, agricultural producers are "doing it the best they can to the most rigorous standards," feeding their own families the very food they produce. His favorite beef dish? The quintessentially New Mexican green chili stew - a fitting culinary representation of the state's rich agricultural heritage.
Subscribe to Behind the Burger for more stories from the cattlemen and cattlewomen who bring beef from pasture to plate. Visit nmbeef.com to discover recipes, resources, and more insights into New Mexico's vibrant beef industry.
Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Burger. I'm Caroline Romo, the executive director for the New Mexico Beef Council. I'm here in Ria Doso for the Dairy Producers of New Mexico annual meeting and I'm here with Larry Reagan, who is the president for the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, Larry, will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you, your background?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm Larry Reagan. I'm president of New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. I have been president for two and a half years now. I've been on the board of directors for about 15 years. Got started in Farm Bureau Like a lot of people. I started buying the insurance, not realizing what an advocate Farm Bureau is for agriculture, and the more I learned about it, the more involved I got in it. Personally I have a cow-calf operation. I just raise calves. I don't pack ground yearlings or anything like that anymore. I did that for a while and I'm too old for that. But I did recently lease a small alfalfa farm down in the valley in the Fort Sunday Air Nation District and that's been quite an experience. But no, farm Bureau keeps me mostly busy under your nation district and that's been quite an experience.
Speaker 1:No, Farm Bureau keeps me mostly busy. Yeah well, thank you for the important work you do with them. Will you tell us a little bit more about the Farm Bureau and about, maybe, your role with them?
Speaker 2:Yeah, new Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau is the oldest ag organization in the state. We advocate for agriculture, we join lawsuits, we spend a lot of time lobbying with the legislature, both at the state level and national level. We just got back from a trip to Washington DC last week. National level, we just got back from a trip to washington dc last week and uh, we also uh, you know, we do some marketing, I guess you would say. And another big part about farm bureau is ag in the classroom and the education component is is is an important part of what we do as emissions absolutely.
Speaker 1:I think, uh, ag in the classroom is maybe the thing I know the most about and I think that the group, the group that runs that, does such a wonderful job and such a unique, um, unique lesson plans to take to classes and and teach them about agriculture they do.
Speaker 2:We are really blessed to have that crew absolutely they've been recognized nationally. They've done some workshops at the National Ag and Classroom and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, Well, we're proud. We're proud they're from New Mexico and I guess if listeners are in a school, or teachers and you'd like someone to come visit your school, that's something they can reach out right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. We love having them to get into a new school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. We say at the Beef Council we always talk about it's an honor to get in the classroom, right? So we know it's an honor and we're going to treat it with the utmost respect and come prepared and show up on time. We also at the Beef Council have a Beef Grant Program. So, since we're talking to teachers theoretically as listeners, we do have a beef grant program that you can look out for in the fall and that's to reimburse teachers for up to $1,000 of beef a year, a school year, and then we can come in. It can pair with an Ag in the Classroom teaching, it can pair with, you know, the Beef Council coming. Either way, we can all collaborate and we'd love to get beef in the classroom.
Speaker 2:It's important that we all stick together.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely, and, I think, luckily, in New Mexico. I've been welcomed with open arms and we've been able to collaborate already and excited about what more we can do. So you talked already about your cattle operation and your alfalfa, but maybe what gave you your love for agriculture?
Speaker 2:Just growing up in it I was actually. My parents were both teachers, but my dad also farmed and ranched, and both of my grandparents were ranchers and farmers, and so I spent all summer working farmers. And so I spent all summer working and and just growing up in it.
Speaker 1:I just I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Yeah, it gets in. It gets in your blood, right, we've, we. We're probably starting to sound a little bit like a broken record sometimes when we talk about it on the podcast, but it's just in your blood.
Speaker 2:A lot of times it just is and you love it I said that the raisin beef cattle, or raising cattle, probably the dairy guys, feel the same way. It's a calling, it's not just a job, it's not just a business. Those of us who are in that business, we're there because we love the cattle. We want to be there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, and that's the whole goal of the podcast is to talk about that love for our cattle, especially on the Beef Council side and dairy producer side, is we want people to know that people who are growing your food care about the animals and care about the end product. They care about you as a consumer and they're putting everything they can into keeping those cattle safe, healthy and providing a wholesome product and end product.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And what I like to try to remind people is you know, stress is the worst thing for cattle. That's when they get sick, that's when they get hurt, and everything we can do to minimize stress in our cattle is helping our cattle.
Speaker 1:Yep, to minimize stress in our cow is helping our cow. Yep, I know I once time toured a dairy in another state and they were talking about. They had a really great way of explaining it like a resort and they said, and here's the cabanas and here's this. And they were just really clever. But the whole point was, yeah, they don't want cattle, we don't want cattle to be stressed out. It's not good for it, it's not good for our wallets, it's not good for them, it's not good for the meat. And so, yeah, absolutely so. Um, what do you think is the most rewarding part of being in the agriculture industry?
Speaker 2:whenever we have a victory, uh in in the legislature or or win a lawsuit or a lawsuit that we've joined, is you say that vickor is uh, those, those, he's a Vic Torres. Those, those, those kind of things that really change the change the lives of people you know and make make, make our producer lives better. That's, that's the biggest reward, that's that's the reason I do it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely those. Those victories make the hard days worth it, sometimes right? Absolutely, yeah. How does New Mexico's landscapes and climate shape your ranching practices?
Speaker 2:Oh well, the course of dry weather. You know where I live, we get about 14 inches of rain a year. I always say, if I can get seven inches in July and August, that's all I need. But this year we've been fortunate. We've had about seven inches in April and May. So we're at a ballgame this year.
Speaker 2:When I was first leased to Ridge, I leased it from my family and our grandfather. He was just one big pasture and I've spent the last 25 years putting in cross fences so that I can rotate my cow and I think that makes a big difference. I had a friend one time. He, uh, she did well. He used to be on your board. His name was Mark McCullen and he said I always if I had a question on beef cattle or or marketing or anything, I always called Mark because I thought he was the smartest guy I knew.
Speaker 2:And had another friend who also was very successful and they had completely different outlooks. And one guy, he believed in big pastures. But to say, catch the same cows back in the same pastures every year they did. That reduces their stress. They'd open it, move around, they know where, where their home. And uh, mark, he believed in rotations, uh, rotating pastures. He put, put in some of the savory type systems and he was a big believer in rotating and, and so there was two completely different perspectives from two of the smartest guys. I knew. So, but yeah, deal my heel. I said well, you know, you know, wait here, we're all geniuses and try your all ideas.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, quite the challenge. I've heard a lot of great things about Mark McCollum and he was an important part of the Beef Council history, I think. Fred, yeah, yeah. And then you talk about high-density grazing and all of that. It's just really interesting how intricate being a rancher is, no matter how many head of cattle you have, you're paying so much attention to grass and, like you said, you might do a big pasture, you might do the high-density small pastures, but, whatever it is, you're putting so much care and so much effort into every blade of grass.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, every blade of grass counts, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. So what is something you're proud of that you've accomplished recently, whether it be in your operation or at the Farm Bureau? What's something you're proud of?
Speaker 2:Well, we just we just recently went through some difficult times at Farm Bureau and we about got through it, and if we get completely through with that, then I think that'll be my biggest accomplishment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, kind of still working through it. But yeah, well, wish you all the best and I can't wait to see you on the other end yeah, I may retire in five minutes oh, shoot, well, you've. You've given, uh, given so many years. You said 15 years, right, 15 years before before being your president. Yeah, so, uh, we, we, uh, we love the agriculture. Servants like you, uh, we need, we need more like you that are willing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to labor them.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well, thank you. What is so? Something kind of thinking in the future. What's something exciting that you're working on or something that's coming in the future?
Speaker 2:A farm bill, if they could pass a farm bill. I guess for the immediate future that's the main thing, and any victories we can have in Washington or Santa Fe, that's just what we were for.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. What is one thing most people don't know about the Farm Bureau, about the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau?
Speaker 2:Well, I hesitate to say it is, but a lot of people think Farm Bureau is in shots and Farm Bureau, by being able to buy insurance, is a member benefit of being in Farm Bureau, the Farm Bureau Federations, the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. We are very distantly related to the insurance. I'm a little more closely now since I'm the president, but the federations and we don't sell insurance, right, I mean, we'd love for you to buy a farm. Yeah, absolutely. That's not our job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's an important delineation, that there is Farm Bureau Financial where you can buy your insurance, but then what you guys are doing is a lot of the advocacy and the lobbying and all the things that agriculture needs.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and also most people would probably be surprised to learn that we have 22,000 members at the state. Yeah, that's sizable. So that means you guys are the oldest agricultural organization and also probably the largest. The largest, yeah, by quite a bit, by quite a bit, yeah, yeah, absolutely. That was a safe guess. And what is your favorite?
Speaker 2:part of the agriculture industry, my favorite part of the ag industry, I would just have to say the people, the farmers, the producers, the, the people who grow the food, keep it safe. That's, that's my favorite absolutely.
Speaker 1:Uh, that's a common answer. Uh, I agree the the people. And then, and then sometimes I venture to say the people in new mexico are, are even top notch right. That absolutely yeah, we've just the. It feels like the family grows every time I go to a new event and everybody's just been welcoming and and um, and I think that that's a really neat thing, a really special thing. Even if you're a new agriculturalist, I think that you get welcomed in.
Speaker 2:Right, and that's another thing. Farm Bureau. We welcome all aspects of agriculture and dairy utilization, from the organic producers to small organic backyard organic producers to the huge cattle operations. We welcome everybody into this Harmony Road family.
Speaker 1:And that's an important thing we can do more and we can be more successful when we're all together and we can all tell the same story that agriculture is just a group of wonderful people that want to feed the world and want to put that, you know that, safe food on your plate. Absolutely, yeah, yeah. So you know, we, we, of course there's there's bad days, Of course there's hard days, Of course there's, you know, things that you got to get through, and so I only bring that up to say what makes you keep going and why do you do what you do? Why do you continue to volunteer, continue to have cattle, even expand the Operation Alfalfa? What makes you keep going?
Speaker 2:Just to continue to help people and spread the message. And spread the message that agriculture, the people who produce food, are doing it the best they can and the safest, to most rigorous standards that they can, and whether it's beef or green chili or pecans or onions, whatever the people that produce it are doing the best job they can and keeping it safe and they feed whatever they produce. They feed their own families.
Speaker 1:That's an important message and an important inspiration to keep going. So is there anything else you'd like to add about the beef industry, or your operation or Farm Bureau?
Speaker 2:Well, obviously right now the beef industry is in pretty good shape. I don't know how long that's going to last, but we're going to take a bad edge of it for as long as we can yeah, absolutely we're.
Speaker 1:We're happy. We're happy for, for high prices for our ranchers, our cattlemen and women, and we're happy for every ounce of rain. We just wish it could get to that southwestern part of our state. Yeah, we, we pray for the whole state. Yeah, yeah, absolutely we, absolutely, we wish we could share some rain. Well, so we joke that maybe this is the favorite question or the best question what is, and maybe the most important, what is your favorite way to eat beef? Or maybe your favorite unique recipe? Or, yeah, what's your favorite?
Speaker 2:I've seen you ask other people their question and you know know steaks are good, but uh gosh, I sure love that green chili stew and absolutely I like a brown beef, not ranch for it, at least okay, okay, well, and that's a good plug too for one of your ag in the classroom teachings.
Speaker 1:It's, I think, stew for a few, and they bring a green chili stew, I think, right, uh, to the classroom. So there you go, green chili stew. Well, I think, right to the classroom. So there you go, green chili stew. Well, I think we have one of those recipes on our website that we can link to. So, yeah, yeah, perfect, well, thank you so much Again. Thank you for being a volunteer in the agriculture industry, thank you for being a leader in Farm Bureau and also raising beef and raising feed. So thank you for being on the podcast too. Thank you for having me. It's been a blast, absolutely Thanks. Behind the Burger is a podcast produced by the New Mexico Beef Council with the goal of telling the stories of the cattlemen and cattlewomen of the New Mexico beef industry. Thank you for joining us for today's episode. If you'd like more information, please visit nmbeefcom. Whether it be a burger, a steak or another beef dish, we hope you're enjoying beef at your next meal.
